We had been on a Celebrity cruise several years ago and really disliked it. It was the attraction of a much smaller boat with less than 100 people on board that really appealed. Unfortunately with only a few days to go we were told that ... Read More

We had been on a Celebrity cruise several years ago and really disliked it. It was the attraction of a much smaller boat with less than 100 people on board that really appealed. Unfortunately with only a few days to go we were told that our itinerary had to change due to low levels of water in the Rhine, we were offered a Mosel cruise instead. We had the opportunity of a refund but given that the time booked was the only window of opportunity for my wife and I and also that Mosel had attractions of its own we went ahead.
I can't fault the collection arrangements at the Ramada Dover and the smooth passage to Koblenz (our port of embarkation), I would however warn those contemplating this holiday that it is an approximately 8 hour journey with only two breaks in between.
The Lucy Anne is best described as quaint, it is one of the smaller River Cruise liners taking on a maximum of 100 passengers, it was often dwarfed by the many other River Liners which if space is your thing then you need to take that on board (pun not intended). This brings me to the low point of the Lady Anne- the accommodation. I had opted for the standard room which I have to say is just about adequate for a single person but the bed was far too small, the duvet too big which meant it readily slipped off the bed. There was an additional tilt in the mattress which felt as if you would slide out at a moments notice. I am completely at loss to see how two people can share such a room. So as you might imagine I had to find time to cat-nap during the day. Even small people (I am admittedly not one of them) will find these sleeping arrangements really difficul but to my amazement it drew little criticism from any one else of they had wanted to share their room secrets with me.
I would have preferred to have had a river view out of the dining room but that wasn't possible as the window was ostensibly under water! The food bordered between very good and excellent the waitresses being very attentive to every want and need. I would have wished for the time between breakast and lunch (9.15 -11.45) to be extended as 2.1/2 hours being too short for proper digestion but that is a personal opinion and I know not shared by everyone. The bar service was excellent and again very attentive, but I thought the prices a little high but that's what you get with a captive market.
Do not bring your laptop or any other media device that needs the internet. The Cruise line offers it but by their onboard admission it very rarely works much to everyone's annoyance.
Our courier did an amazing job given the short notice that she had to do with the change of plan and I can'y say enough about our driver who got us here there and everywhere safely and on time. I was dissapointed not have gone on the original intinerary, but it was no one's fault. The situation in respect of the Rhine was well known in Germany and I felt that some earlier notice could have been given. The Captain and his crew were always available to ask questuions and the entertainers fantastic in their vocal and instrumental skills
The small size of the ship and the reduced number of passengers engendered a genuine sense of bonhomie which I certainly did not feel with the larger cruise line. We met some really nice people and by the end of trip we got to know nearly everyone. This was a big plus Read Less

Being a big fan of Christmas markets, this cruise is an ideal way to see some of the best without the hassle of an airport. My husband and l had never cruised before but were very impressed both with the Tour Manager Ed and coach driver ... Read More

Being a big fan of Christmas markets, this cruise is an ideal way to see some of the best without the hassle of an airport. My husband and l had never cruised before but were very impressed both with the Tour Manager Ed and coach driver Steve from Cruiseline and the multi talented captain and staff aboard the Lady Anne .Granted, this is a cruise aimed at a certain age group but l wouldn't let that put anyone off.The ship is small compared to some of its rivals but that only adds to its friendliness. The food was excellent and there is a couple of exercise bikes on the sun deck for those feeling guilty about indulging themselves.There is plenty to see on the Rhine and both ports and excursions gave plenty of opportunities to see the local areas. My highlights were standing on the frosty deck sailing up the river and wandering the Christmas markets of Cologne and Rudesheim.I would cruise with this company on the Lady Anne again as l understand they do several themed trips. Read Less

We chose this because it departs from Hull to Rotterdam on P&O Ferries & then the coach takes us to the Lady Anne ship. This is much better than the long coach travel to Dover.
The food on the Lady Anne was superb as was the ... Read More

We chose this because it departs from Hull to Rotterdam on P&O Ferries & then the coach takes us to the Lady Anne ship. This is much better than the long coach travel to Dover.
The food on the Lady Anne was superb as was the service of the staff. The only bad thing was the very steep stairs (X2) to & from the lounge to the dining room. Our coach driver, Mark, of Llew Jones coaches for "The River Cruise Line" was the best we have ever had & should win an award for the cleanest coach inside as well as outside. Mark also booked us taxis to pick us up from our pick up point.
Our days out were to Volendam (great) & Amsterdam (very crowded with lots of stag & hen does). Our other trips were to Kampen with a excursion to the Het Loo Palace (boring) & to the Keukenhof Gardens which was was very exhausting. We also did a cheese & wine Amsterdam cruise through the red light district on our last evening.
On travelling back to the Rotterdam ferry we visited Delft & a trip around its pottery place.The food on the Rotterdam ferry was the same as the out going ferry but that price of s bottle of vino was £16 for a bottle I could have bought in ASDA for £4. This was an expensive but enjoyable trip but every thing was taken care of. I hope other travel operators will copy this Hull crossing. Read Less

Went with the River Cruiseline on the Lady Anne Amsterdam & Bulbfield Spectacular Cruise 26th April 4 nights 5 days (not really because we were travelling for two of these days). Having done some research we decided to make our own ... Read More

Went with the River Cruiseline on the Lady Anne Amsterdam & Bulbfield Spectacular Cruise 26th April 4 nights 5 days (not really because we were travelling for two of these days). Having done some research we decided to make our own way to Dover and opted to stay pre and post nights at the Ramada (room was acceptable but the food was awful) so when our lovely driver David from Port Talbot managed to get on an earlier ferry on our return to England we decided to head straight for home because the Ramada had signs in the hotel apologising for the noise until midnight because there was a party.
Now to the cruise itself - well it was more like the Lady Anne was being used as a floating hotel. We were informed before departure that we would not be going to Volendam because it was closed to all shipping traffic so we did very little river cruising and every morning we seemed to have to move early (6 a.m. the engines started) to a different spot. On our first night some of the cabins were broken into whilst moored in Amsterdam with valuables and medication taken. Luckily because of previous reviews saying how small the cabins are we decided to upgrade to a promenade deck cabin. It had everything we needed (after all you only want to sleep and have a shower) and for the amount of time we were there it was adequate but we wouldn't have wanted to spend a long time in it.
Our cruise director was Maggie but we personally found her to be very arrogant and thought she was not really the right person for the job. The cruise manager was Robert and we found him friendly and helpful. What we found really odd was when we had a welcome meeting the next morning no-one mentioned the robbery even if it was just to warn us to be very careful. Perhaps they didn't want bad publicity but feel they handled it badly.
All the crew were lovely and very friendly and all work extremely hard. We personally thought the food was very good considering the small amount of space the Chefs have to prepare it. There is only two choices for the evening meal. We were allocated seats in the restaurant on a table for 6 and were fortunate to be with two lovely couples and also spent our evenings with them having a great laugh. The restaurant is reached down two separate very steep and narrow stairs so definitely not suitable for the less mobile.
It was our intention to do all the excursions but it was so hectic we opted out on the last day. The weather was awful with everything from snow sleet thunder lightning and rain and very very cold.
Het Loo Palace was worth visiting. Keukenhof Gardens was really lovely and the tulips were at their best although it poured with rain whilst we were there so we probably didn't see all there was to see.
The cheese and wine cruise was nice but the Amsterdam City and Diamond Factory was a complete waste of time as we had seen most of it on the cheese and wine cruise the night before. We didn't do the Mauritshuis Museum in the Hague but decided to walk around Amsterdam on our own. Very much like London very very busy dodging the cycles and trams.
We had a nice time and are glad we did it but it was very tiring with more coach travel than cruising on the canals and when we did cruise we were in the restaurant having breakfast and could only see the water lapping against the windows. Read Less